Love thy neighbor
by tenchu11
Summary: Unusually quiet, wounded war Vet, Garen Crownguard has become a landlord. Trying to become self dependent he decides to rent out the top floor of his home. With the war over Katarina Du Couteau can finally follow her dream and become a great dancer. She plans to attend one of the best schools in Valoran, located in Demacia. Old rivals and short time summer fling become neighbors.
1. Chapter 1

**I'd like to thank my beta reader.** Happy Jinxmas  
 **If you find any errors on this it was my fault for adding after her edits sorry. Its just the largest chapter I've written and I read and read re-read it about 6-9 times til I got a head ache editing it.**

 **I don't know why I decided to write this, just got on my laptop and started writing…sorry for the long, long chapter. Inspiration was taken from a book series called "Neighbor from Hell".**  
 **Please let me know what you think and if I should continue writing it or just neglect this story.**  
 **I'm fully aware I have another two stories that need to be concluded…FML**  
 **Please leave a review of what you think.**

Prologue

The sun baked grains of sand burned the soft pale flesh between her toes. She angrily ran back onto the boardwalk.

"I hate it here! I hate it!" She threw a bottle of sun lotion at a passerby ignoring his scream as the bludgeon sound of the bottle hitting his skull rang loudly.

All she could think of was how her father had been acting weeks prior to this assignment. His usual loving and playful self-had turned into a cold matter of fact task master. Leaving her feeling as if she constantly had to prove herself.

…..  
A week before, her assignment:  
Her ballet class had been cut short as one of her father's servants had picked her up from practice.

As soon as she arrived home her father began to speak without giving her a hello or welcome.

"You are being sent on a mission. Don't argue back." Her father spoke as her saw her scowl on her face.

"You have become too enamored in liberal arts and less in those of which you were born or intended to be used for, for the good of the state."

Her younger sister, ran down the stairs in a pink tutu and curls that could make springs jealous.

"Daddy, I love it!" the young blond girl stuck her arms out with a lovely warm smile. Her blue eyes were innocent and sweet.

Their father picked up the young girl and placed her on his lap.

"Now, Cassie, I want you to practice and be the best and prettiest ballerina in all of Valoran. You are my princess." He leaned in and kissed the young girl's cheek before putting her to the ground.

"Go to the ice box and get yourself some ice cream. I'll be in later to join you."

The young girl gave her dad a smile and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay daddy, I love you!" She hugged him.  
"I love you too," he replied gently.

Cassie disappeared into the kitchen and the man's happy go lucky smile turned into an emotionless face.

"Kat, high command has a training mission for you," Her father spoke, she could tell he was not at all pleased to ask her but he didn't show any sadness either.

"Dad but you said no missions 'til I was 17, and my recital is next week. You promised you'd go."

He tried not to be fazed by the young girl's quivering lips and the moisture of tears appearing at the corner of her eyes.

"You'll be missing your recital. As of matter of fact, today's lesson was your last." His face showed no emotion.

"But, the dress you got me…I was going to wear it..." She started biting her bottom lip as her face became flushed and tears started to flow.

"Come on now Kat, don't be such a child." He said as he turned around and started fixing a drink from his liquor cabinet.

As he took a sip of his drink all he could hear was her voice sob out, "I hate you!"  
Kat quickly covered her mouth and ran up to her room. She buried her face into her pillow to soak up her tears and cried herself to sleep.

….

Jezzebel, the other Noxian girl she was assigned with was the epitome of overdeveloped. Although she claimed to be 14 years of age, Kat wondered how her back wasn't in constant pain from those two large globes she carried around on her chest or how she was able to fit in her cloths with such wide hips. No way she was just a year older than her.

 _No! I'm not jealous!_ She constantly caught herself thinking.

She tapped Kat's shoulder and pointed in the distance to two boys sitting under an umbrella on the beach.

"There's our target, let's go!" She said, unbuttoning her top revealing her bikini.

Their target The Crown Prince of Demacia Jarvan, and his friend Garen Crownguard were instructed by Demacian Secret Services. To use James as an alias for Jarvan and Gary for Garen.

An informant had given away that the crown prince would be on vacation on the Ionian beach but Garen was a last minute travel companion.

Throughout the vacation their goal was to use the skill learned at Noxus HQ to befriend and seduce their newfound acquaintances. It was just a small training exercises for the two girls but if any noteworthy info was gathered it was their duty to report it. Noxus HQ didn't give Jezebel the target's name as part of the exercise was to hone her skills in getting her mark to reveal all information possible.

All Katarina could tell as they approach was how strong and tall the dark hair one looked. While his friend had broad shoulders was shorter (but still significantly taller than her) and was less muscular. Almost normal looking, compared to his taller friend.

...

The two girls approached the two boys sitting Jezebel cocked her hip to the side exentuating her form and began to introduced herself and Kat. Jezebel introduced herself as Jessi and Katarina as Tina. Those were their chosen alias for their recon mission.

Katarina noticed how the shorter with broader shoulders of the two was quiet throughout the introduction. He made little to no attempt to acknowledge them. The taller one stood up and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm James and this is my friend Gary." Garen looked at Jezebel and Katarina and gave them a weak halfhearted smile. He returned his attention to the book he was reading.

Throughout the day Garen, noticed how the well-developed girl Jessi, had taken a liking to Jarvan. She would laugh at everything he said and started flirting with him, almost over the top in his opinion.

He tried not to notice but peeked over at Tina. She was pretty her dark raven hair cascaded over her emerald green eyes, but something about her seemed off. It was like the last place she wanted to be on earth was here on the beach next to Jarvan and her friend as they flirted and giggled. Garen, knew he was being bad company, but he refused to give in and speak with her. He watched her as she sat a few feet away from him, just like himself she ignored Jarvan's and her friends annoying banter. He watched as she played with sand, she made small castle-like mounds stacking them on top of each other until it was a good foot tall tower. Then she spent a good hour or so with a hair pin scrapping stone patterns and windows on it.

He couldn't help himself and became invested in watching her little sand castle. He could see the concentration in her eyes and the way her lips tighten as she worked. When out of nowhere a gust of wind knocked it over. Just as soon as her face turned red, she heard a chuckle. She looked over and saw him quickly dive his face into the book he had been reading.

"Fine! If you think you can do better, then go ahead!" Katarina said her hands digging at her hips.

Garen, gave her a bemused look. He took a moment she could tell he was thinking of something to say but all that came out was a simple "Okay".

"He doesn't mean to be rude, he just doesn't like to speak that much." Jarvan spoke, not in an accusational tone but as if playfully defending his friend.

Garen became a bit shaken and trembled a bit as the feeling of crippling anxiety sat in.

 _Great, now that he brought it up they (more like her) will want me to speak._

"Don't just stand there, show me!" The girl he knew as Tina spoke shaking him loose from his moment of self-doubt.

It was about three hours as the two of them worked as a team. She kept looking at his baby blue eyes and brown hair as it hung over his face. His face and demeanor showed full concentration as she handed him her hairpin and he made exquisite detailed work on the sand castle. He didn't bat an eye when she removed another pin from her hair and worked alongside him.

Both of them became so involved in the sand castle both failed to notice their friends had walked down the beach about ¼ of a mile to swim.  
Garen stood up wiped the sand off his knee caps and stood in front of the castle. He gave her a smug smile as if taunting her for doing a better job than she had.

She didn't know why, even though she had helped it angered her. But the castle wasn't the reason she was angry, but that smug smile of his set her off and before she knew what she was doing. She walked up and pushed him back, making sure he would land on the castle. Before she even had a moment of self-gratification, she failed to realize he had grabbed her hand and she was falling down with him.

They both laid there in silence for a good 15 seconds. She was barely fourteen and this is the most she had ever spoken with a boy in her life. At that moment she realized just how attracted she was to his blue eyes and brown hair and his square jaw line. He looked up at her with a smile, her dyed brown hair brushing lightly at his face. Her green eyes were locked with his. Both of them felt their faces becoming closer to one another's like some magnetic force. The sound of the soft waves crashing onto shore was broken by a male clearing his throat and a girl's giggle.

She quickly jumped off him and he quickly stood up as Jarvan and Jezebel stood there watching them both. With playful "We just caught you" smiles.

"Well, it's getting late, James has invited us to hang out with him and Gary again tomorrow." Jezebel spoke.

Garen and Jarvan both stood there as they watch the two girls walked further away from the beach. The shorter Tina looked angry as the taller Jessi laughed and made kissing symbols with her hands.

Garen, looked over at Jarvan who was making the same hand signals at him. Garen, shook his head and walked away from him and headed to their hotel room.

…..

With three days remaining on their vacation, every day had been the same. Garen, had spent time with Tina (Katarina) while Jarvan and Jessi (Jezebel) flirted and got overly comfortable. Katarina laid on her beach blanket enjoying the comfortable silence she and Garen had formed. It didn't help with the knowledge that as this assignment was in effect, she was missing her Ballet recital she had worked so hard for. It wasn't fair, her father had no right to pull her from her dream and the worst insult was her younger sister, the one father could never say no to, had just received a new dress and dancing shoes.

"Wow, I love your drawings!" A beautiful red head spoke.

The red head had managed to sneak up behind Garen, and saw the drawing he was just about finished of Katarina.

Garen, quickly shut his book closed. Katarina and the girl both saw Garen's face turn beet red as he blushed in embarrassment.

"My name is Sylvie," The red head with just as large of a chest as Jezebel reached down and extended her hand to him.  
Katarina did her best to not notice her chest and mentally compare and contrast between her and the red haired stranger.

She was surprised to hear him speak for the second time.  
"Thank you." Almost a soft whisper that was quickly carried away was all he said.

"Anyways I saw you here yesterday and figured I'd come and talk to you. I really like the sketching you did of your little sister, could you sketch me?" She said looked down at him and then over at the young girl he had been sketching.

Kat quickly fisted the sand and quickly got up and walk towards him at an angry pace.  
"I'm not his sister!" She spoke angrily, offended.  
Kat looked up at the girl was around "Gary's" age, somewhere around 16-17. Her developed physic and attention towards him made her angry, jealous, and embarrassed all at once.

Then she looked down at him. He still sat there with a face that said "Kill me please."

"I want to see the sketch you made of me." She halfheartedly hoped it was something like stick figures so she could have laughed and diffuse the situation.

She stood there with her hands on her hips watching as he carefully tore the piece of paper from book. His hands shook nervously as he handed it to her.

The surprise and shock drowned out the girl speaking.  
Sylvie had asked Garen to follow her down the beach to sketch her. Hoping to escape the embarrassing moment Garen quickly nodded and followed her.

Kat's eyes were mesmerized by his sketching. She enjoyed ballet but besides that every boy considered her a tomboy. Which to her was good, as she was just barely 14 and she barely remembered her mother and had no woman had thought her how to act around boys. When they teased her for dressing in pants and shirts instead of dresses at school, her one reaction was to lash out and punch. Alienating her from most boys, most left her alone and she didn't mind as she had no interest in them.

But the etching he had made of her made her look feminine, even dare she say beautiful and frail. He captured the contours of her cheekbones her eyes watching the waves a half worried smile. Maybe he could tell she missed her mother, missed out on the ballet she had wanted to join and was forced to be here as a "seductress" recon mission.

By the time she was done looking at the drawing of herself she noticed the both of them a good 40 yards down the beach. She was flipping her red hair back over her shoulder as her blue eyes gave him a look a predator would their prey and Kat could see she slowly licked her lip and looked at him. But all Garen did was concentrate and continue sketching.

 _Maybe if I didn't have to dye my hair for this dumb mission he'd ogle over me!_

She made an early retreat to her and Jezebel's room. She didn't want to ruin her sketching and she didn't want to ruin her day by watching Garen and Sylvie together.

…

Day before Garen and Jarvan were due to leave.

As soon as Jarvan and Jezebel were away from earshot and out of sight. Katarina walked purposefully forward and poked Garen's chest, causing a painful point to form at his chest as she continually did it and spoke.

"You, don't just leave me behind and ditch your friend for some floozy redhead! That's just bad manners and not fair at all, Gary." She tried to sound like it didn't bother her that he had spent the rest of the day with another girl.

"Also, you can't just draw people without their permission, that's just creepy!" She did a fake shiver.

She looked up at him, she tried to find his baby blue eyes as he turned his face to the side as he tried to avoid her gaze.

She heard a mumbled "Sorry" escape his lips.

She also didn't want to tell him how much she loved the drawing and it was the sweetest thing anyone had done and how she wanted to have his babies. Yeah, she was getting ahead of herself.

"To make it up to me, I'd like you to draw me, sketch me or whatever you call it," She spoke nonchalantly but was glad to see her comment had made him smile.

….

It was their last day together.  
Katarina had brought the sketch he made of her the first time she caught him and asked for a trade. She saw the big difference in the two. The one he had made at her request with her eyes constantly planted on him whenever he wasn't looking showed a more playful and confident her. She would even dare say more beautiful. Garen, wanted her to have both, but she insisted he kept the first as it was "her gift to him."

As the day dawn on, the sun became like a heat lamp from above. Garen, stood up and decided to walk up towards an ice cream stand at the start of the beach. It wasn't 10 seconds until he noticed her. She had gotten up and followed him, keeping in step with him. He looked to his side to saw her green eyes looking up at him. It made him feel warm inside as both of them smiled. She became nervous as the busty 17-year-old Sylvie was standing there in the smallest bikini Kat had ever seen.

She began speaking to Garen almost as if Kat didn't exist.

"Gary, I loved the drawing. Maybe if you want to leave your little sister, er, friend, behind you can draw me in a more natural form." Her eyes became much more serious as beamed on him.

"I'm not his fucking friend or sister!" Katarina snapped, both Garen's and Sylvie's attention to her.  
Before she could register what she was doing she reached and squeezed Garen's hand.  
"Let's go," She pulled him passed the redhead and they both walked in silence towards the ice cream stand. Katarina's heart was beating a thousand times a minute from excitement and embarrassment. She couldn't believe she had done that and she began to worry that she had done something wrong. His grip on her hand tightened.

When they returned to their friends Jarvan and Jezebel were both in chest deep water. With Katarina's height she would definitely be have her nose underwater.

"Come on you guys, it's hot out, with the sun the water it feels great!"

Before Katarina could protest, Garen had started running into the water at full speed, diving forward and coming back up.  
He turned around waiting for her. Meanwhile Jarvan and Jezzebel kept taunting her.  
"Come on don't be such a baby!"

"What you can't swim!?"

"What are you a child?" That insult triggered her, the memory of her father saying it set her off.

She clutched her hands into fists.

"I'm not a child and I too can swim, you're all stupid!" she gave them an angered look but worst of all she gave Garen hurt look.

Garen turned and looked at Jarvan and his new infatuation Jessi. His eyes were angry and he shook his head at them in silent disapproval.  
He ran towards the shore, the resistance of the water slowing him down. But all he could do was keep his eyes on her as she ran away from all of them down the beach towards the boardwalk.

…

She finally made it, she was under the boardwalk where no one could see her or make fun of her. So what if she couldn't swim. She became bitter at the thought of her younger sister Cassie taking her spot as a ballerina or a few years prior when her dad had taught her to swim. While he made Kat do physical exercises as she watched jealously from afar as her father held Cassie lovingly as he stabled her above the water as she learned to swim.  
Kat took off shirt and pants and walked towards the water.

"I don't need anyone to teach me, I can swim and I will dance better than Cassie!" She yelled and she ran into the cool water.

She fought the waves as she swam further out in. The comfort of her still touching a sandy bottom gave her confidence. When her arms started to flail the water consumed her and every breath she tried to take became painful as no air could be found. Her vision became brown as the silt and water disoriented her. She was angry at herself, she wasn't even 14 yet never had her first kiss. The memory of Gary laying under her when he tripped at pulled her down with him filled her head. Everything started going black, she felt as if her lungs had given out and she stopped fighting the water and the waves. For a second she gave up fighting, she resigned herself to death.

The feeling of a comforting force removing her from the tumbling riptide moving with great speed and ease. She felt the warm sand stick to her damp back as the sun had overtaken the darkness. She felt soft even pressure on her chest and a pair of hands playing with her face and lips. A voice cried out with panic.  
"Are you okay? Don't die!" But the water in her ears must have broken up the words as they were hard to hear.

She felt what had to be a pair of lips pushing air into her mouth. When a small amount of water that had gone down the wrong pipe shot out. She turned her head to the side and coughed out more of the remaining salt water from her mouth. She looked back up to a concerned but gentle look from Gary. He reached down, removing her dark hair from her green eyes softly with the back of his hands. Her eyes were red from the salt water as were his, but her lungs and throat hurt. As she sat up without a word Gary reach forwards and comforted her for a few minutes allowing some time to catch her breath. She dug her head into his neck, trying not to cry. She just realizes how stupid she was how she almost died. After a while he pulled back and gave her a look "everything will be okay".

She didn't know why but as he gave her a comforting smile with his hand on her shoulder the young girl leaned forward and before either of them knew what had happened. Their lips had joined in a warm long kiss, Katarina stomach fluttered as he kissed her deeper. She felt his strong hands wrap around her comforting her reaffirming her safety. But something snapped, and the kiss that was no longer than 10 seconds ended when Katarina pulled back and slapped him hard across the right cheek.

Without a word she grabbed her top and pants and ran back away from him and the beach. The words that Jezebel reminded her the night before played over and over.

 _Remember this just a job, a fun entertaining job. But you can't get attached after tomorrow, you'll probably never see him again. Don't get hurt._

She was angry at herself how she wanted him to kiss her from the moment she fell on him during the sandcastle incident, or after he drew her but she wanted her first kiss to be perfect. Romantic, by a garden or while dancing but not like this. Not with her coughing water from her lungs and windpipe or her eyes red like she had just been on a three-day binger.

…

Jarvan and Garen both packed their bags and proceeded to board a yacht that would take the two boys off of Ionia and back home towards Demacia. Garen never let on how many questions he had for Tina and how afraid he was that he'd never see her again. He never gave her his real name and she never gave him her last name.  
 _We're both strangers._

Jezebel sat across from Katarina. For a girl three years younger than herself she saw talent in Kat but she was still new to Noxus and their espionage tactics. She did envy her, while her trip was spent flirting with the other boy James. She could tell he was a seasoned man of the court and had to take every compliment ever word he said with a grain of salt. She was also doing her job so she shouldn't be upset as her job was to get men to divulge information by being as charming and charismatic as James had. Their conversations seemed so chess like with flirting and laughing in between. But what Kat and that other silent but good hearted guy Gary had made her a bit envious. Although few words were spoken between Katarina and her target their eyes, body language and smiles spoke volumes.

"Hide the drawing he gave you before we enter the city. I recommended you put it down your bra as the guards are not allowed to search us there." She spoke in a quiet tone as they were less than a minute from the gates of Noxus.

Over the sound of the horse hoofs striking cobble stone Kat leaned forward and defended herself.

"I don't care, I don't even like him." Both the girls knew it was a lie.

With a shrugged Jezebel leaned up against the carriage window.  
"It's a shame it'll be confiscated as evidence during your debriefing and you'll never get it back. He seemed like he really cared about you."

The side of her lips curled in a smile as she saw from the corner of her eyes Katarina carefully folding the piece of paper and stuffing it down the front of her shirt.

"As far as I'm concerned that drawing never existed." She gave Katarina a warm smile and opened the carriage door as it came to a stop.

 **(Next chapter takes place 10+ years later)**

 **P.S I was 2 character shorts of maxing out story description.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'd like to thank my beta reader.** Happy Jinxmas

 **To those who felt " weird" about Kat being almost 14 and Garen 16-17 I tried to make it a believable age difference where they would have met and interacted. I think in lore or through seeing other people's fan fics their age difference was about 5-7 years. Garen was already an established commander by the time he and Katarina had met each other. He was I believe mid 20s when she was 18.**

One.

It felt like a knife digging into his right hip.

Two.

He cursed under his breath.

Three.

He wasn't going to let the pain win.

Garen was on the third step of a stepstool with a hammer in hand and a nail being held by his teeth as he used his right hand to hold the piece of wood.

"I just need to nail you and I'm done," He spoke to the six inch piece of molding he held in his hand.

He looked at the space where the molding went and focused as hard as he could.

You can do it, you can do it.

He slowly put all his weight on his right leg as he stretched to place the molding where it belong and quickly nail it in place. At least that was his plan, until he felt his full body weight on his right hip. It felt like a dagger was quickly twisted in his leg and hip from the bone to his flesh. He cursed every god and deity he could think of, which wasn't many because with a thud, he came crashing down. He had a quick second of pain until the hammer he had been holding knocked him out cold.

….

She walked up to him, "Hi Gary, remember me?"

He tried to speak but couldn't, but he let out a nervous, "Tina?"

It had been over 10 years and she had turned into a gorgeous woman. Approaching him swinging hips, and put her hand on his chest and she leaned in and gave him a deep sensual kiss sticking her tongue in his mouth. Garen was taken by surprised as she quickly began licking his cheeks face and eyes.

What the hell!

….

Garen shook his head, waking himself up from whatever dream he had only to notice a small shriveled up and wrinkled, big eyed, chubby smelly beast face to face with him. It quickly gave him a wet sneeze point blank to his face.

Garen, sat up and rubbed his head, feeling the lump the hammer had left and saw Jarvan sitting in a chair about 10 feet away watching over him.

"You selfish bastard!" Jarvan walked up to him, grabbing Garen by the forearm and pulling him up forcefully.

"Your mom and sister are worried sick about you. You lock yourself up in this house for weeks on end and the one day I decided to break in I find you knocked out cold. You could be rotting away in here and no one would know."

Jarvan failed to mention how many tears his mother had shed over Garen, or how many concerned tones he had heard from Lux when Garen was mentioned. He didn't want to guilt him any longer.

All Garen, could think of was Jarvan accusing him, "You this! You that!"

But, he did his best not to retaliate and took a deep breath.

He just looked at Jarvan then the dog with a confused look.

"Look, I told your mom and sister I'd come check in on you. While I was at it I promised Lux I'd drop off your new service dog." The dog had decided to make itself at home by laying at Garen's feet as he stood.

"A…pug?"

"Yes, a pug, I'm having people come over later today to finish the detailed work. I refused to tell my godmother (Garen's mom) that her son snapped his neck installing siding,"

Jarvan also decided not to tell Garen that the pug wasn't a service dog to fetch things for Garen or to open doors. He was to help him with his minor warrior's disease(PTSD).

"Since I know you don't like visitors I figured I'd just drop off your new dog. Youcan name him whatever you want." Jarvan spoke while avoiding eye contact with Garen.

Garen stood there looking around the room for his cane which he already planned to rush over and grab as soon as Jarvan left to alleviate the pain.

"One last thing, remember how you wanted me to find you a tenant?" Garen's mind reeled as he never agreed to it.

….

Then he remembered speaking at his mother's house.

"Please, Jarvan, promise me when I'm out of here you'll help me. I have a house and I don't know if I'll ever be able to work again. I don't want to be a burden on my mom or Lux."

He hated the fact that they had to feed him, clean him and change him (his diapers) for a few weeks as he lay in agonizing pain.

…

Garen took a deep breath thinking of words to say before he spoke them.

"I was, I was under a lot of morphine."

Jarvan shrugged.

"Well, too late. Besides we've been friends for our entire life and you shy away from people and conversation. You hardly ever speak to anyone, even me, it would help if you socialized a little more."

Garen, turned his head and looked at the stairs heading up to the second floor of his house.

"I'll..I'll try" he said with a sigh.

"Good especially since you're new tenant is really hot." He gave him a teasing look.

In reality one of Jarvan's trusted secretaries, Beatrice, happened to favor the company of woman over man so he took her word for it.

"What's… her name?"

"I forgot, you'll just have to wait and see."

In reality Jarvan didn't even know her name. But he was happy to see Garen at least speak even if it was questioning him about his new tenant.

Jarvan, walked to the door and opened it, a few of his bodyguards walked in without speaking and dropped off boxes full of dog food, toys and bowls.

"Thanks," Garen muttered.

He looked down at the pug who's curled tail wagged in excitement.

Garen wanted to argue with Jarvan and tell him he didn't want or need a tenant, but in reality times were tough. He had refused to take disability pay or an early pension as he refused to admit his military career was over. He could use the extra money and although Lux and his mother offered him money he outright refused it and he'd rather starve than ask his estranged father for help.

Jarvan waved good bye and left Garen standing where with a new pug and a lot of dog food.

…

"Father," Kat, bowed before him, waiting for his acknowledgment before speaking.

"I can't." She handed him the letters he had placed on her bed.

She cried with great joy, less than a month ago after her father had returned. After almost half a decade of waging an undercover war against the corrupt Jericho Swain lead faction. He had helped end the war. When word got out of his sudden appearance, Marcus Du Couteau, the nation was in turmoil. But as words of his exploits he became a war hero, he spoke at the city center re-affirming all the citizens of Noxus that peace was for the best and that they would prosper not with war but with commerce.

It felt like her father didn't even give her a chance to breathe as soon as he returned home he comforted Cassie, sent Talon on some top secret errands and of course started finding suitors. Which has lead them to this confrontation.

"Can't or wont?" He said as he held a goblet of fine brandy cupped in his hand.

"Both….I love you and I've missed you, I'll do anything you ask of me but I refuse to marry (she wanted to marry for love)."

Marcus approached her with a heavy sigh he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You are my eldest, you must carry our families name. It's not a question Kat but an order."

Memories of how he had strong armed her into doing as she was told. She had always been desperate for his approval.

"No." She spoke in a soft tone.

"What, did you say?"

"No….You've been gone five years! I've kept this family together! You don't know how hard it's been. You always think what's best for the family but never what's best for me! All this family does from me is take, take and take…." Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I can't and I won't." She turned her back on her father and walked away before he could lecture her.

…

Katarina waited until the dead of night while everyone at home happened to be asleep. She walked quietly assuring that the duffle bag at her back didn't knock anything off of the furniture or rub loudly against the wall. She made her way out the door but not before stopping by her sister's room. She wept as she saw her laying there with her lower (snake like) half coiled around her. Even as monstrous as Cassie saw herself to be, she laid there with one of Katarina's quilts she had given her as a gift and a teddy bear their adopted brother Talon had given her. Katarina finally felt like she could walk away knowing her father was home and could keep an eye on his youngest.

He still treated her like the little girl she was to him and never acted as if she was any different even after her curse, something that made Katarina lessen her resentment towards him. She left a letter at her younger sister's night stand explaining how she will be gone and will write often and to tell Talon and their father not to worry. For Katarina, she finally felt like she could put herself before everyone else in a very long time.

…..

Jarvan waited around the corner from Garen's townhouse. He watched as Garen opened the door and carefully took measured steps, he felt anger as he watched him.

"You stubborn son of a bitch!"

He knew Garen was told to stay off his leg and at least walk with a cane but his friend's stubbornness would be the death of him.

As soon as he saw the carriage driver help him into cabin they drove away. Jarvan gave the group of people behind him a signal. They all rushed over, painters, carpenters and interior designers. Garen refused help with the home he had been building and ever since his accident he had become even more stubborn Jarvan decided to finish the detail work without his friend's knowledge. Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission was his state of mind. With the new tenant arriving in a few weeks he wanted Garen's home to be welcoming. He knew Garen had an appointment today and would be gone for a few hours. But with all the skill, labor and men that served under Garen, as volunteers it would be plenty of time. He had tried to help in the past and Garen either refused to let them in or pretended not to be home.

…..

Garen laid his palms on the crystal orb softly as he saw her do the same. He watched as she gave him a soft and warm smile. Without opening her mouth her beautiful voice filled his thoughts.

So, tell me Mr. Crownguard any luck with the local women?

She smiled at his blushing.

Sona, you know I get nervous and I'm unable to talk I feel stupid.

She gave him a sympathetic look.

Now, repeat what you said but speak it. Take your time and think of it slowly as you speak no one is rushing you.

Garen pulled his hands away from the orb. So spoken words and inner voice didn't overlap, she had told him how it distracted her and caused confusion. He took a long deep breath and both could feel his nervousness.

"Son…sona, you know I get ge get neee eh vous and I'm unable to talk I feel stupid."

She motioned for him to slow down until he was able to repeat it fluently. She saw him smile, then motioned for him to place her hands on the orb.

That was amazing! Garen! You're doing so much better, why are you able to speak with me and not other people? Let alone other woman?

I feel comfortable with you and after I warm up I stutter a lot less. I hate that I can't speak….sorry.

She gave him a playful scowl.

No insult taken. Remember you aren't stupid, one day you'll meet a woman who will find your stutter endearing.

YEAH, RIGHT!

Remember I can hear what you are thinking, if you say it in your head I can hear it. (a lesson hard learned when he first met her and he caught himself looking at her chest).

Sorry, Sona. Can you help with my nightmares? They are coming back, whatever do you do keeps them away?

She nodded and reached for her Etwahl, her famous mysterious instrument. He watched as she slowly plucked the strings and the sound from it warmed his soul. Sona put the emotion of someone in love into that song and it had quickly become Garen's favorite. She knew it was just a band aid for the loneliness and whatever turmoil he was facing, she watched as a single tear flowed down his face.

At the end of Garen's session he stood up from his sitting position to touch the orb and thanked her. He moved his right leg slowly as if it were a log and she saw him wince and clench his teeth.

Why aren't you taking what the doctors prescribed you? She spoke to him as soon as his hands touched the orb and he would hear her.

Sona….please not this again.

Yes! Again, I care about you, my friend.

He could see the concern in his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

Sona, the medicine makes me feel numb and dull... it puts me out for days at a time. I don't want to rely on Milk of the Poppy (Heroin/Morphine). I've seen it mess people up, I'd rather live with this pain now and not become addicted like many others.

…

By the time he returned home it was starting to get dark. He was able to ignore the pain as the music Sona had played for him had soothe him and helped him, but he knew it was only a short term remedy. He walked up his front steps feeling the pain but he managed to only wince, he hated leaving his home. It meant being in the public's eye and that meant he couldn't use his cane, he didn't want to be seen cripple. He hated that he considered himself a "stuttering cripple."

Real confidence boost..

He opened his front door and walked into the hallway into a door leading to his house. The top portion was an exact replica of his home, only thing that was shared between the two living spaces was the hallway to his home and the stairs leading up to other living space (a shared entry way).

He became annoyed at first sight as the opened his front door. His new pug which had yet to name had decided his favorite recliner was its new bed. He noticed all the new furniture, his home was freshly painted in warm pastels which anyone would find pleasant but he liked dark hues as it reflected his current state. He was too exhausted to feel ungrateful for Jarvan's intrusion into finishing his projects (finishing the detail work on the house). He grabbed his cane and walked with it towards the kitchen table where he found a still warm potatoes and beef casserole and a note on the table.

As he ate the glanced over it.

Please come by the house more often, you sister's friends and my friend's daughters want to meet you. I'll be hosting a dinner two Sunday from now and it would mean so much to me if you attended.

-Love Mom.

He hated when his mom and sister tried to play matchmakerk but he also knew how much they wanted to see him. He couldn't stand how much they worried and fussed over him making him feel like an adult sized baby. With a sigh he hobbled over to the couch, he laid on his back and began to think over the conversation he had with his therapist (Sona). He heard the sound of paws on his hard wood floor and the dog began to scratch at the couch wanted to be lifted. After a few seconds of Garen ignoring the dog he finally lifted him on to the couch where he laid. He watched as the dog ran up his legs and chest where it laid and sniffed his face and it decided to fall asleep there. It was a strange comfort to have him there cuddling with him, something he would never openly admit to anyone. His leg was sore and the dog's warmth and snoring had lulled him to sleep.

…

Katarina, couldn't be happier. She had been staying in rented tavern rooms for the last two weeks, until she heard the news. Demacia Institute of Arts will now start holding dance classes even amateurs were allowed (think of it as community college classes), she knew she was about 7 years too old to become a professional dancer but she never gave up on her child hood dream.

For, the last few days she had been staying in Demacian flop houses, she kept her self-hooded to hide her identity. Even though the new peace treaty between the two city states (Demacia and Noxus) had allowed free travel and habilitation. Years of animosity were still hard to overcome.

Every morning like clockwork after her morning jog she would sit outside a coffee shop, enjoying the warmth of the sun. She forgot what it felt like (Noxus tended to be smoggy from heavy industrialization), she would read the paper and look through the classifieds looking for a new apartment place to stay. One caught her eye.

"Looking for tenant, land lord lives on site. He is quite and keeps to himself"

She read, on realizing it met a lot of her criteria. The location was in one of Demacia's nicest neighborhoods. The land lord was described as quiet and hopefully it would mean she would get all the privacy she needed, he was probably some elderly person. Which alibiated the fear of being ogled by some guy trying to woo her.. The price was almost too good not to take which made her suspicious.

But after two drunks fought outside her room the night before making it impossible for her to sleep until she walked out in her scantily clad night gown. She did silence them for a second as their jaws dropped but she made sure the silence was prolonged by slamming their heads against support beams. She just didn't have it in her to do that every night.

She circled the name of the realtor agency, and address it said ask for Beatrice after 5 PM only.

…..

Jarvan strolled into his assistant's office he brought her a cup of coffee and a muffin.

Beatrice raised her eyebrow. Every time he tried to be sweet he was buttering her up for a favor.

"How's my favorite lady doing?"

"What do you want, Jarvan?" after many years of being his personal assistant she was the one of the few who didn't address him as the crown prince. But just and simply Jarvan (much to his delight).

"I'm giving you a week's paid vacation." Jarvan spoke with grin.

"Good, I've been wanting to go and visit…" Before she could finish, Jarvan cut her off.

"Catch is you have to be home by 5 PM every night." Beatrice's eyes narrowed at him anger as he continued talking.

"I need you to help me find a tenant for a friend of mine, this is totally unethical and off the record but I'd appreciate it if the candidate is say…young, gorgeous."

"when you mean a friend you mean yourself? I'm not some sort of mistress finder."

Jarvan, chuckled.

"I don't think Shyvana would appreciate that. Just trust me Beatrice, just choose the type a girl you'd date…let me rephrase that. The type of girl you'd date if you were a guy."

She rolled her eyes at him, "I hate you."

"You know you love me." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he left a folder on her desk with all the tenant agreement and housing information.

Before he exited her office he said quickly. "Oh, and if she's single I'll give you a bonus.

 **I was watching the kings speech and read a story about a boy and girl who get kidnapped and the boy has a stutter. They find each other late (both thinking each other died when they escaped). Think its called Never let you go. Anyways sort of wanted Garen, to have a stutter to give him more depth not sure how readers will take it. Love or hate it?**


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